Blogs from Huila , Colombia, South America
May 15th 2012
Our final stop in Colombia is the region surrounding the small town of San Agustin, in the departamento of Huila in the far southwest of the country and only a few hours away from Ecuador. Located in the mountains of the Macizo Colombianowhere the spine of the Andes divides into the three Colombian cordilleras, San Agustin itself is not much to look at but is surrounded by some of the most splendid scenery in Colombia. The hills and valleys surrounding the modern town of San Agustin were home, some five thousand years ago, to a highly developed pre-columbian civilisation also known by the name of San Agustin. While much about the San Agustin people remains shrouded in mystery, the countryside for miles around is scattered with dozens of tombs and distinctive funerary statues which have made ... read more
July 22nd 2011
Reisdag met onzinnige obstakels.. Op 12 juli om 7.00 uur gaat onze wekker. Het grote avontuur gaat beginnen, Colombia, here we come! De rugzakken staan al klaar. We springen de trein in, op naar Schiphol. Heeft u een visum geregeld voor de USA, anders kunt u niet met het vliegtuig mee. Visum.. Voor die 2 uur dat we op Atlanta airport moeten wachten.. Zucht.. Maar goed, we rennen naar een balie en kunnen nog net op tijd het zo belangrijke papiertje kopen. Als we willen gaan boarden worden we extreem uitgehoord door man in pak. De gekste dingen worden gevraagd. Veiligheidsvoorschriften voor Amerika... Als het vliegtuig wil landen in Atlanta, blijkt er een enorme onweersbui te hangen boven de stad. We moeten wachten in de lucht. 6 Rondjes van de zaak krijgen we! In Atlanta blijkt ... read more
November 11th 2010
To the Border!! I can't believe I'm out of Ecuador...and luckily with no fines! I had miscounted the days on my visa and actually arrived in Quito the day my visa ended. As I did not know the actual laws I went straight to the airport to try and get a flight out before midnight. Thankfully an immigration officer informed me that there are no longer $200 fees if one over stays the visa, but a 9 month entrance restriction is imposed...which I will bypass by buying a volunteer visa. Anyways, after all that excitement I made my way to Ibarra and ultimately to Tulcan. The border crossing was not what I expected, however, I did have to wait hours for a boss man to show up to give me a proper leaving stamp since I ... read more
Cueva de los Guácharos (Cave of the Oilbirds)
Published: March 19th 2010South America » Colombia » Huila
May 1st 2009
Parque Nacional Cueva de los Guácharos This park is in the South of Huila and covers 9,000 hectares of mountainous rain forest. The park is full of caves and canyons. The highest point of the park is 2,800m and so the park covers all climatic zones up to páramo. The forests namesake inhabitants are the oilbirds whose huge wingspan is 91cm. They are nocturnal birds who feed on oil palm and they can travel several hours each night to eat. During the day they live in caves clinging to small rocky ledges with their next to useless feet. The oilbird is also notable for being one of the few birds to use echolocation. The park is well off the tourist trail and is quite difficult to reach. Visitors are rewarded though by a rich selection of ... read more
April 13th 2009
Atras quedo Ecuador, Correa y la revolucion ciudadana y ya estamos en Colombia, sin guia y siguiendo el rumbo que mas nos place. Buscando pueblitos lindos en las verdes montañas desde donde poder caminar hacia desfiladeros y cascadas. La semana santa nos sorprendio recien entrados en este pais y como en esas fechas todos los domingueros se movilizan y los precios suben, decidimos irnos a San Agustin a aguantar el temporal, que lo hubo, no tanto como en españa, claro, pero aqui (que os sirva de consuelo) tambien llovia, y a lo bestia. Pero si es necesario que llueva, que nos mojemos la poca ropa que tenemos, que nos pringuemos las botas de barro, para ver este maravilloso paisaje, estas increibles cascadas y este rio magdalena...bien venida sea. Ahora ya ha pasado la semana santa, gracias ... read more
San Agustin - A Timeless Question
Published: January 22nd 2009South America » Colombia » Huila » San Agustín
January 21st 2009
San Agustin - A timeless question She looks at me through the light rain and I notice her jaguar eyes and teeth, I am told her name is Diosa de la Lluvia, (Goddess of the Rain). A rainbow sits on her head like a hat and she smiles with a promise. A promise of what? I have no idea. Unfortunately no one has any idea, the culture that made her had no written language and disappeared long before anyone could ask. Experts can only guess, and make assumptions based on other traditions with similar designs and techniques in the area. If the level of a culture is measured by its metaphorical art and not written language then these statues are proof of a highly intelligent culture. There are over 500 statues ranging from half a metre ... read more
Première semaine en Colombie
Published: November 3rd 2007South America » Colombia » Huila » San Agustín
November 3rd 2007
Et voilà! Nous voilà partis il y a une semaine maintenant et nous avons déjà bien déconnectés !!! Après 3 jours à Bogota, nous sommes en ce moment à San Augustin, haut lieu de vestiges pré- colombiens dans un décor magnifique !!! Ils savaient déjà ce qui était beau à l’époque! Nous sommes dans une pousada idyllique avec vue superbe.... Je vous promets que l’ on a déjà bien déconnectés... Alors sinon, moi (Nicolas) j’ai déjà eu droit il y a deux jours àma première tourista bien bien costaud avec fièvre et tout et tout mais plus rien n’ y parait maintenant... Pas bq de photos car connexion horrible ....!!!... read more
